Despite being wounded he continued to campaign and his gallant service at the Battle of Sobraon was rewarded by appointment as aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria.

[1][2][3] He was promoted to lieutenant on 14 May 1805 and served in 1809 on the Sutlej, the river forming the boundary between British India and the Sikh Empire.

[1][5] White was given command of the cavalry attached to Sir George Pollock's army during the 1842 invasion of Afghanistan.

[1] Despite the eventual British loss and withdrawal White was recommended for appointment as a Companion of the Order of the Bath, which was granted in 1843, for his services in the war and also received a medal.

[1][2][4] White served under Hugh Gough in the First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46), commanding the cavalry of the British force.

Despite heavy musket and artillery fire White's cavalry succeeded in routing the enemy force.

Historian George Bruce calls this "A brilliant and victorious charge [that] probably saved the day" for the British.

[7] On the second day of the battle White led another charge against the Sikh cavalry, who threatened the British infantry who were desperately short of ammunition.

[1] On 29 January the Governor-General of India Henry Hardinge stated: "Colonel White, your regiment is an honour to the British army".

[4] Hardinge afterwards noted "Her Majesty's Third Light Dragoons, as usual, were in the foremost ranks, and distinguished themselves under their commanding officer, Lieut.-Colonel White".

At the 22 November 1848 Battle of Ramnagar the commanding officer of the 14th Light Dragoons, Lieutenant-Colonel William Havelock, was killed.